With increasing air traffic there is an increasing need for marking electrical lines, static lines, cables etc. to be quite visible at all times under all conditions to prevent accidental damage to an airplane from line obstructions.
This invention is aimed at filling the need for a marker with enhanced conspicuity where only daytime marking is desired and for enhanced conspicuity or visibility both during the day and at night for a lighted marker ball. The closest prior art we find is U.S. Pat. No. 5,361,018, filed Aug. 9, 1993 by Milton. There are two embodiments of the present invention. In both embodiments the plastic shell is colored using U.S. FEDERAL STANDARD #12197 ORANGE in a gel coat on the outer shell of the marker. The shape in both embodiments may be described as a body with a central cylindrical segment with cone shaped segments on each end with the length of the cone shaped segments essentially the same as the length of the central segment. In an embodiment primarily for daytime use both cone shaped segments and the center segment are completely covered with fluorescent retroreflective tape. The tape may be green, yellow, yellow/green or white. In the lighted marker all of the unit except the lighted area is covered with the retroreflective tape. Both embodiments are fabricated in longitudinal halves and both units or markers have a U shaped opening to allow installation on a line from above the line. Both units are fabricated with clamps to fasten the units securely to a line. These markers differ significantly from the prior art in that both are covered with retroreflective tape and both fabricated with surfaces to allow adhesive fastening the retroreflective tape without wrinkling the tape surface. A cylindrical center portion with cone shaped ends allows tape covering or covering with a flat sheet without wrinkling. The with cone shaped ends. Shapes that would allow wrinkle free tape covering and sufficient visibility would be within the purview of the invention.